Thursday
Page 5
March 20, 1997
enate endorses parental notification bill
\This preliminary
\vote marks the first
mme in 24 years that
\a major abortion bill
mas been considered
\by the full Senate.
I AUSTIN (AP)—The Texas Senate,
jang up major abortion legislation
rthe first time since the 1973 Roe
l Wade decision, gave preliminary
Iproval Wednesday to a bill that
puld require parental notification
r a minor to get an abortion.
I Another Senate vote is required
[fore the bill can go to the House
consideration. But Wednes-
[y’s 22-9 vote for preliminary ap-
oval was significant.
It marked the first time since
abortion was legalized 24 years ago
by the U.S. Supreme Court that a ma
jor abortion bill has mustered
enough support to be brought up for
consideration by the full Senate —
which for the first time since Recon
struction has a Republican majority.
Only one of the senators voting
against the bill is Republican, Sen.
JeffWentworth of San Antonio.
“I’m fearful, yes, that this does
crack the door” to further restric
tions, said Sen. Mike Moncrief, D-
Fort Worth, who tried unsuccess
fully to derail on a procedural
motion the bill sponsored by Sen.
Florence Shapiro, R-Plano.
Abortion rights advocates predict
ed the measure would lead to more
girls getting illegal abortions, while
abortion opponents said it should re
sult in fewer teen pregnancies.
Ms. Shapiro described her mea
sure as a blow for parental rights.
“There is no other provision in
Texas law where parents are denied
the right to know what is going on
in their minor daughters’ or sons’
lives,” she said.
There were 6,346 girls age 11-17
who obtained abortions in Texas in
1995, and a parent was informed of
the matter by the minor in 75 percent
of the cases, according to senators.
The House has voted once since
1973 on a similar measure providing
for parental consent, approving it in
1981. That bill died in the Senate.
Ms. Shapiro’s bill would not re
quire parental consent, but only no
tification of a parent or guardian by
the doctor who would perform an
abortion on a girl under age 18.
A doctor who didn’t follow the no
tification procedure could be charged
with a Class A misdemeanor, punish
able by up to one year in jail and-or a
fine of up to $4,000.
Exceptions would be provided
for medical emergencies, and a
court procedure would be estab
lished for minors who do not want
a parent or guardian to be notified.
The appointment of a lawyer or
guardian to represent the minor in
the court procedure, called a “ju
dicial bypass,” would be financed
with family planning funds under
an amendment to Ms. Shapiro’s
bill. Moncrief called that ironic.
“To take money out of one area in
our government that is providing
those services... that teach young peo
ple not to make the mistakes that will
lead to this kind of predicament does
n’t make a great deal of sense to me—
especially to give that money to a
bunch of lawyers,” Moncrief said.
ommittee considers school choice measures
till would give students access to taxpayer-funded private school tuition
AUSTIN (AP) — Proposals to expand school
oice, including one that could give students
low-performing public schools access to
payer-funded private school tuition, were
nsidered Wednesday by the Senate Educa-
3n Committee.
Committee Chairman Teel Bivins, R-Amaril-
is author of the bill to provide students anoth-
way out of public schools where less than half
e students performed satisfactorily on the
xas Assessment of Academic Skills’ reading,
riting or math section for three straight years.
Students at such campuses make up an esti-
ated 6.5 percent of Texas’ 3.7 million public
hool students.
Bivins’ bill would allow them to use state and
cal education funds to pay private school tu-
ion if they were turned down for a transfer to
other public school.
He has said the measure is meant as a pilot
program to test the theories of those “who
Iropose that this would substantially increase
[ccountability and student learning, and all
e other wonderful claims that are made
|bout vouchers.”
Opponents of the tuition voucher program,
aong other objections, say it’s simply wrong to
anneibadly needed money from public to pri
vate schools.
Bivins’ voucher measure is based on the ex
isting public education grant program, which al
lows students who are assigned to attend low-
performing campuses to transfer to other school
districts that agree to take them.
Eighteen percent ofTexas’ school children are
eligible for the current program, but only 53 stu
dents have used the grants to transfer.
The current program applies to students at
campuses at which 50 percent or more of the stu
dents didn’t perform satisfactorily on the
statewide Texas Assessment of Academic Skills
in any of the preceding three years. That’s an eas
ier standard to meet than the three straight years
in Bivins’ bill for private-school vouchers.
The private-school voucher would be about
80 percent of the money that would go to a pub
lic school, or an average of about $4,000 per stu
dent transferring to private school.
Private schools that receive vouchers could
not discriminate based on such factors as race,
and they would be subject to the same state ac
countability system as public schools.
Other bills pending in the committee would
allow more independent charter schools, pub
licly funded campuses that are independent of
school districts, free from many state regula-
The Texas A&M University Student Publications Board
is accepting applications for
' ' jHE'' ^ s m??'' v
The Battalion The Battalion
(including now media products)
Summer 1 997
(including new media products)
Fall 1997
Qualifications for editor-in-chief of The Battalion are:
i minimum 2.0 overall and major GPR at the time of appointment and
MON PAV MIPNIOHT SALE;
JACK INGRAM *FREE POSTER W/ PURCHASE*
NOTORIOUS B. 1.0. WARREN G.
ROLLINS BAND MATTHEW SWEET
MACHINE HEAD G'lATAR
OA.FT RUrsIK REAL rVIC^COV'
NANGI GRIFFITH ALISON KRAUSS
THEJY 2VLEGTTT BE OTAISTTS
Be a Texas A&M student with <
during the term of office;
Have at least one year experience i
student newspaper,
OR
Have at least one year editorial experience <
OR
Have completed at least 12 hours journalism, including JOUR 203 and 303 (Media Writing I and II),
JOUR 301 (Mass Comm Law) and JOUR 304 (Editing for the Mass Media), or equivalent.
sponsible editorial position on The Battalion or comparable
i a commercial newspaper,
INSTORE PERFORMANCE
TiEactJ Jt-tss / rs ■7'
Aggieland
1998
Qualifications for editor of the Aggieland yearbook are
student with a minimum 2.0 overall and major GP
>f office.
» year experience in a responsible position on the Aggieland
Be a Texas A&M student with a minimum 2.0 overall and major GPR at the time of appointment and
during the term of office.
Have at least one year experience in a responsible position on the Aggieland or comparable college
yearbook.
Have demonstrated ability in writing through university coursework or equivalent experience.
Have completed or be registered in JOUR 210 (Graphics) or equivalent.
Application forms should be picked up and returned to Francia Cagle in the Student Publica
tions Manager's office, room 01 2 Reed McDonald Bldg. Deadline for submitting application:
5 p.m. Thursday, March 20, 1 997. Applicants for The Battalion editorships will be interviewed
during the Student Publications Board Meeting beginning at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, 1 997.
Applicants for Aggieland editor will be interviewed during the Student Publications Board
Meeting beginning at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 1, 1 997.
Taxas A&M is an equal opportvnily/affirmalive action employer. The Student Publict
urges people from under-represented groups to apply.
r
1 C o “rl ~ ^5 { pr 5
t~zWTW~^S&
CLASSICAL
SPECIAL ORDERS ALWAYS WELCOME
BDE5X
The Business Student Council presents
Business Foundations Day
Learn about:
• Career Opportunities in Business
• Different Majors
• Business Organizations
• The College of Business
• Talk to Upperclassmen In Your Major
• Ask Questions!!!!!
• EAT FREE PIZZA!!!!
Saturday, March 22nd from 11-2 @ the
gazebo in front of the Wehner Building.
In case of rain, it will be held inside the
Wehner Building next to the elevators.
tions and able to enroll students regardless of
district lines.
The charter schools are subject to account
ability standards, including a requirement for
their students to take theTAAS.
The 1995 education overhaul allowed for 20
such schools. The State Board of Education al
ready has awarded all those charters and has
been flooded with additional requests.
Under a bill by Bivins, the limit on such
schools would be raised from 20 to 100 over
the next two years. It would allow 40 more
free-standing charter schools in each of the
next two years.
A separate bill by Sen. Jane Nelson, R-
Flower Mound, would remove the cap entire
ly, allowing as many charter schools as could
make it through the State Board of Education
approval process.
“We have had a tremendous number of very
well-qualified applicants that have been unable
to receive a charter grant because we’ve limited
it to 20. ... I would like to see as many who are
qualified be able to receive charters as possible,”
Nelson said.
The independent charter schools are separate
from campus charters, which may be granted by
local school boards.
IMPROVE YOUR WEALTH
BY SHARING YOUR HEALTH
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n
s\.\p.<~ s ] J
Here are 81 good reasons to become a plasma donor at
Westgate Plasma Center: $80 dollars in your first two
weeks, and you save lives. If you have any questions
about donating Plasma or wish to set up an appointment
please call us at 846-8855.
***VALUABLE COUPONS***
NEW DONORS:
Receive an extra
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r CURRENT DONORS: 1
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when you bring in a
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I Receive an extra
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JL I
BROTHERS UNDER CHRIST
Saturday, March 22
4 p.m. @ The Polo Fields
Speaker:
Bruce Collie
San Francisco 49er and 2 time Super Bowl Champion
Music:
Jackson Finch
Michael Armstrong
Nickel and Dime
Ross King
J* I
P
m
^Persons with disabilities please call
S-1S1S to inform us of your special needs
Health Professions
Symposium
Free! Meet over 50 Representatives from Medical,
Dental, and Nursing Schools, Net Medicine, and
Allied Health, Military Scholarship, and Public Health
Administration Programs
MSC Flagroom
March 26
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Texas A&M University
Executive Council of Health Organizations